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gutter tstr @strut @frn TO ALL WHOM IT MAY GONCERN FRANKLIN ROOT, or BOSTON, 'MASSACHUSETTS- :Letters Patent No. 81,411, ,dated August 25, 1868.

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Beit knownthat I, FRANKLIN ROOT, of Boston, in tho county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Brakes; nndI-do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- I Figures 1, 2, and 3 are views of my said invention, (fig. 3 being a reversed plan,) and Figures 4, 5, '6, and 7 aro details of some portions of the mechanism.

The natureof my invention consists in making a ear-brake, which will stop and start a car more eii'eetuully and simply than the usual brakes will perform the same work, and which can, atpleasure, be made selflaeting. 'To accomplish this result, I have combined together two lever-brakes, pivoted somewhat in the form of'a blacksmiths tongs, the long arms 'ot' the levers being operated by the driver, or automatically, as hereinafter `set forth, and the short arms claspi'ng sheaves upon the axle.

In the said drawings, A represents the car-body; W, tho wheels; B and C, the lever-brakes; D, an inclined plane, attached to the slide S, and connected with the lever-brake B by a pin and friction-roller; r and n, pins, extendingthrough thecar-,framc,and connected withhthe lever-brake C. a is a. spring, rigidly attached to the lever B, and pressing upon the lever C to keep them apart; E, the sheaves.

This mechanism is operatedas a, brake for ordinary use,.by the driver or brakeman, byV pressing down the long pinr (usually with .tho foot) with ysuficiont force to clasp the short arms of the lever-brakes tightly upon tbc sheaves. On relieving tbe pin from the pressure, the spring immediately separates4 the arms, and takes the friction olf the sheaves. l y A When used tostart a car, (the sliding inclined plane being in the position shown in iig. 3,) the short pin 'n is used to claspthe brakes upon thc sheaves, and hold tlleuirmly in that position'whilc the inclined plane is drawn forward by themotive-power. This dcpresscs the long ends of the lcver-brakes, forces the wheels to turn suiiiciently to overcome the inertia of the car, and relieves the pressure of the brakes when the inclined plane has reached the end of its forward motion. This operation might be performed with the aid of' the long pin, but as it isevidcnt that the operator could not always relieve the pressure of thc brakes at'the instant the inclined plane has ceased to turn the wheels, I use the short pin, which, when properly adjusted, is regular and certain in its' Operation. I

I can further vary the operation. of this mechanism by adjusting the lever-brakes by any well-known method of adjustment, so that they will be forced to clasp the sheaves when the momentum of the car is checked,

,and the inclined plane is forced towards the centre of the car. This might, at times, bc of great value on rail` roads,v as it would put the whole series ot' brakes on a train under the direct control of the engineer.q

The sheavcs'E, I make in two parts, forV convenience in vputting on the axle and replacing when worn. I also make the frictionsurf`aees of the sheaves 'and ofthe brakes in a V-torm, in order to get more extent of surface, and, consequently, power. The shoes are fit-ted in grooves in the brakes, and are kept from lateral dcra-ngeznent by means of' screws through the brakes, projections from which enter the slice.

I do -not claim `all lever-brakes claspng sheaves. upon an axle, as *I am awarejhat such have previously been' used; but

Whnt'I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The arrangement of the lever-brakes B and C, pins 1 and n, and sheaves E, substantiallyv as and for the purpose specified. i i

2. The combination of the sliding inclined plane D with lever-brakes B and C, clasping sheaves upon an axle, when constructed substantially as described, andfor the purpose specified.l

3. The lever-clutch brakes C and B, with removable sh'oes, when each shoe clasps one-half the circumtference of a sheave, in combination with sheaves having V-shaped lgrooves into which the shoes fit, when constructedsulstantially as and for the purpose specified. l

` FRANKLIN ROOT.-

Witnesses n' J.` E. MAYNADrsn, Guns. Fi Sussman. 

